DRAGGING a colleague who has been shot in the face out of his truck or seeing corpses strung up from bridges - it is just another day at the office for Lee McClelland.

Every second of the Buckley man's life in Iraq, working for a Baghdad security firm, holds mortal dangers.

But the 30-year-old former soldier says he would not swap it for anything - least of all a nine-to-five job.

Lee has just returned from a two-month tour of the country, where he works on convoys, transporting valuable - and often expensive - materials needed to rebuild the war-ravaged country.

He has captured some of the shocking images with his digital camera - including the horrific sight of two badly beaten bodies hanging from a bridge.

'The two men had evidently been working for the Americans, which made them a target for insurgents,' said Lee, who formally served with the Royal Welch Fusiliers in Northern Ireland and Bosnia.

'I was protecting a convoy at the time. The two men were obviously dead and beyond help.

'We couldn't stop on the road or we would have been sitting targets. You don't hang around over there.'

He was also involved in pulling a colleague from a truck after he was shot in the face.

Lee, now a commander on convoys, said the US and UK troops are doing a brilliant job.

'They are helping the Iraqis to rebuild their country and their lives,' he said.

Lee said he had managed to dodge bullets fired at some of the convoys he had travelled with - but some of his colleagues had not been so lucky.

'One lad had his leg practically blown off,' said Lee, who has been working in Iraq for 18 months.

'The training is tough, but you have to learn to look after yourself and your mates. We wear bullet-proof jackets and always carry a gun for personal safety.

'You are constantly aware of the danger - conscious that the next car coming towards you may be a suicide bomber.

'We signal to any vehicle approaching the convoy to stop. We give them every possible warning. We are taught very strict rules of engagement. If they continue to approach, we fire a warning shot into the ground. If that fails, we shoot the tyres, which normally halts them in their tracks.'

Father-of-two Lee said his work had taken him across Iraq. He has travelled miles on convoys through featureless desert terrain.

'You have to be on your guard all the time,' he said. 'We just don't take risks.

'Originally, I was attracted by the pay - the high wages reflect the danger we face. But now I realise more and more what a valuable contribution we are making to rebuilding Iraq after Saddam Hussein was toppled.

'I have been on convoys transporting millions of pounds worth of supplies essential for the rebuilding of the country after the war.

'When you meet the Iraqi people and talk to them, you realise the importance of the work we are doing over there.'

Lee had a lean spell after leaving the Army. He had three operations to repair his damaged left knee, but has made a full recovery.

He said: 'I joined Buckley Ju Jitsu Club, which really helped to build me up and prepare me for the tough life I live in Iraq.

'I first went out there to do security work in December 2004. We spend between eight and 10 weeks out there then come home for a break.

'I've been lucky and escaped injury, but some of my mates have copped it. One lost part of his hand and another had his leg shattered. One gunner was shot in the face - he's the one I pulled out of the truck.

'But, despite the danger we face day after day, I enjoy the work - every day is different and a fresh challenge. I've had bullets whistling past me, but you just knuckle down to it.

'Thankfully, I've never had to fire directly at anyone.

'Our convoys are always targets, but we are highly trained and ready to deal with any situation that crops up.'

Lee is compiling a photographic record of his working life in Iraq.

'There's nothing much else to do,' he said. 'When you are out on convoy duty we stay overnight in secure areas. It means sleeping in the truck, which can be very uncomfortable - you often wake up with an aching back.

'All the lads take photos and we swap them. The latest thing is to make short videos from the shots, accompanied by suitable music.

'It really shows what life is like for people like me working out there and they will be something to look back on in years to come.'

Lee keeps in touch with his mum Joan, who lives in Mold, via the internet and by mobile phone.

Apart from working on convoys, Lee has also been employed as a bodyguard.

'There's obviously a lot I can't say because I'm still working out there,' he said.

'There are some shocking things going on, but we should be very proud of the troops who are doing a marvellous job in very difficult conditions.'

Lee said his colleagues in Iraq came from across the globe and they gelled well into the team.

He says everyday life in Iraq is rife with corruption, and the newly formed police force was often infiltrated by insurgents.

'When I come home and watch the news I see how highly sanitised the reporting is,' he said.

'What we see on our screens over here bears little resemblance to the reality of what's going on over there.

'Iraqis are suffering, but television can't show the pain the people are feeling. Lots are being killed daily. What they are going through is unimaginable.

'But if US and UK forces weren't there, things would be far worse.'

Lee said he and his colleagues try to switch off when they are safely in camp.

He said: 'We have a laugh and joke, or work out to keep fit.

'I suppose we like living on the edge, but you have to switch off sometimes.'

Lee relishes returning home to Buckley, where he can unwind and recharge his batteries.

'I'm thinking of buying a house at some point, but at the moment I have no plans to quit security work in Iraq,' he added.

'I just couldn't see myself settle down to a nine-to-five job, it's just not me.' nLee supplied us with photographs which, due to their gruesome nature, we have decided not to publish in a family newspaper.